Josh Azzopardi scores late entry for Olympic 100m dash as Australia braces for 24-year first
Australian speedster Josh Azzopardi has scored an entry in the men's Olympic 100m dash less than a fortnight out from the start of the Paris Games.
It means Australia will be represented by more than one athlete in the men's 100m at an Olympic Games for the first time since Sydney 2000.
Azzopardi and Rohan Browning will both contest the 100m in the French capital.
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Azzopardi had already been selected as part of a six-man squad for the 4x100m relay, but is now also set for an individual event after one athlete withdrew.
The Sydney sprinter's name now appears on the list of Paris 2024 track and field entrants on the World Athletics website.
Josh Azzopardi and Rohan Browning will represent Australia in the men's 100m dash at the Paris Olympics. Getty Images
"I thought the whole procedure had finished of entering people into the event ... so I kind of took it out of my mind and moved on and accepted my fate, so I was not expecting it [the phone call] at all," Azzopardi told Wide World of Sports from London.
"To get the call and be confirmed — it was the biggest shock.
"It will be awesome [to run at the Olympics]. I think I'll thrive. I love the big moments, I love the pressure, so I can't wait to go out there. It's 18 days now til the heats. I'm very keen and hopefully I can run pretty quick."
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Josh Azzopardi pictured at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Getty Images
Neither Browning nor Azzopardi hit the entry standard of 10.00 seconds within the qualification period, but both have qualified via world rankings.
The fastest legal time run by Browning during the qualification period was 10.10 seconds (-0.1 wind), while the quickest Azzopardi went legally was 10.14 (+1.2).
They both clocked 10.06 in Wollongong in January, but were assisted by an illegal wind of 4.1 metres per second.
The addition of Azzopardi takes Australia's Olympic track and field team to 76.
